Artist and author Phillip Summers is back with another 'Hand-Drawn Game Guide', this time looking at the classic hard-as-nails action title Mega Man.
Soaring past its Kickstarter funding goal in just 12 hours, the Capcom-licensed book is aiming to launch in August 2025 for backers and will boast over 200 pages of stunning hand-drawn images looking at the original Mega Man for the NES and the Game Boy. Character illustrations will be included along with full level maps, tips, tricks, and gorgeous two-page spreads.
What's especially neat (and in a better world, this really needn't be said) is that no AI whatsoever has been utilised in the creation of the book. Everything found within its pages has been crafted with real-life art tools, with the only digital step in the process being the scanning required to arrange the images via page layout software.
There's still plenty of time to submit your pledge if you'd like to support Summers' project, with digital versions of the book available at £16/$19 and physical copies at £24/$29. The Kickstarter also states that if the project is successful, Capcom may be keen for more guides based on the sequels and spin-offs. For now, let's take a peek at a few pages from the book to give us a flavour of what to expect.
As for the Mega Man franchise itself, the series has remained dormant since the release of 2018's Mega Man 11, though Capcom has recently gone on record to say that it is "considering how to create games for it on an ongoing basis". Fingers crossed we'll get news on a new entry in 2025.
What do you make of this latest 'Hand-Drawn Game Guide' product? Will you be looking to pick one up? Let us know witha. comment.
[source kickstarter.com]
Comments 17
Yep, have already supported it myself, looking forward to my digital copy and fingers crossed that thanks to the success of this one we'll eventually get such guides for the other Mega Man games, too!
I backed Hand-Drawn Game Guides in its first run. They're great productions! I really love to see the combination of two of the things I enjoy most in life: games and art. (Games are art, but you know what I mean). It's a shame he had to stop, but I'm really happy to he him back at work!
I'm getting a digital copy and dreaming about one of my favorite games ever receivning the same treatment: Mega Man 3
I picked up some of Phil’s old guides and subscribed to his old semi-regular guide publications and enjoyed each one! This is his first fully-licensed book and probably the biggest yet. I’ll be backing it for sure. His renditions are often a little off-beat and not what you’d expect, but certainly fun, and he truly loves retro games.
Hmmm I think this might be my very first back on Kickstarter. I just made an account, and I will back the hardcover copy
Who knows I might start playing Mega Man games?
I'm a simple man, I see Mega Man, I am instantly interested. Definitely going to keep an eye on this one and I might even back it! Looks good!
"What's especially neat...is that no AI whatsoever has been utilised in the creation of the book."
People freak out about AI images, but this book exemplifies why the panic is overblown. Its big, obvious selling point is that it is hand-drawn. The whole thing is made by a person. People enjoy and appreciate art made by other people. We don't have to worry about AI art "taking over" because too few people will be willing to spend money on it.
@Dr_Corndog I think that people are afraid of companies that use AI for art and deceive people that it is drawn by a person. And all of this is to save costs.
I shall be backing this (obviously). His previous work covering the Mega Man classic series was great too.
Pass. I prefer foot-drawn.
@Zuljaras Sure. But I think that as AI becomes more sophisticated, so will our ability to detect it.
@Dr_Corndog I think it will be the other way around I think AI generated things need to have a label just like cigarettes, so you know what you consume.
I do not want to look at a painting and wonder if it is from a human or AI.
Also, more and more artistic outlets online need to give the option to artists to ban AI from using their work to fill the AI databases.
@Zuljaras: I would heartily recommend the Mega Man games to you. I started playing them just last year via the various Legacy Collections and NSO, and I'm absolutely loving it. 😌👍
@John_Deacon
So in the eternal battle of 2 VS 3 you side with 3 then?
By the way, I recommend to those who haven't already done so to check out also Summers's previous "Hand-Drawn Gaming" issues (especially you @Zuljaras considering the very first one is dedicated to a game from a certain series): https://handdrawngameguides.gumroad.com/l/handdrawngamingdigital!
Much better than the official Nintendo western release artwork for Megaman 1.
I adore the sense of place in extending the map beyond the game screens and filling in a credible setting for it! It makes an NES platformers a little closer to the realism of Tropical Freeze.
@mlt Well, in my case, Mega Man 3 was the game that really made me dream about having an NES back in the day. I used to go to the video store and kept looking at games and systems for months. When I finally bought my NES, Mega Man 3 was the first game I played on it and it lived up to my expectations in every aspect. I still play it every year until today
Mega Man 2 is my number two in the franchise for sure. Although it is a marvelous entry and the game that set the franchise on the right track, 3 will be in my heart forever with its perfect soundtrack, great stage design, fair difficulty and the introduction of the slide to make gameplay even better than 2's.
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...